I’m taking a break from taking a break because, well, I have to vent.

As of 4:35 pm I published a link to an article from Channel 10, in Tampa Bay, that describes the, “dirty side,” of a Hurricane. It will appear just above this blog.

I am well aware that the chances are low that the Orlando area will get a direct hit from Elsa. However, last night when I finished my shift at 9 pm, I had a couple of questions for management concerning hurricane protocol.

I left the breakroom and saw that the only immediately available manager was my immediate manager. She was ringing up a male customer. I waited until she was finished and posed my question something like this, “The storm is supposed to arrive Tuesday over Wednesday…” My manager interrupted with, “We are not going to get it.” “Probably not, but I want to know if something happens and we are affected, someone (from Sprouts) will call, right?”

She was looking at me as if I had three heads.

I didn’t have the energy, or time to explain that she is not a meteorologist; that the storm will strengthen when it goes over the Florida Straits (it did just that and has almost returned to hurricane status as of today. It is expected to be a hurricane at landfall near the Big Bend); that I’ve been through about 15 named storms in my Florida life; that EVERY job I’ve held before my present one, management has posted paper notices next to the time clock(s) explaining protocol in the event the facility was affected; that “the cone of possibility of a hurricane,” is just that. The little red winged icons that go up the middle of this cone is THE MOST LIKELY PATH. It is NOT the guaranteed path. It’s nature. Nothing is guaranteed.

I also didn’t want to explain what the, “dirty side,” is. Hint, hint, it’s the worst quadrant of the storm and if Elsa were to sway east to that eastern edge of the cone, our area would be in the dirty side.

I also didn’t want to explain that hurricanes are fed by heat and hot water and that the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico is much warmer than the Caribbean. I didn’t feel the need to point out that this makes Gulf hurricanes less predictable.

It was just another experience in being disrespected.

I have to be at work tomorrow at 8:30 am. I really didn’t, and still don’t, want to drive to work and find that the store was closed. That’s ALL I was asking about. The answer I received was given in an attitude that I was ignorant and stupid. She really doesn’t know me.

I am grateful that it is not a huge storm and that we PROBABLY will not get a direct hit, and I will be monitoring what Elsa does, cause that is what you do when you live and work in a hurricane zone.

I hope everyone comes out unscathed.